The Government Strategically Nuked A Bunch Of Beer

So, in case you were wondering, yes, go right ahead and pop that bottle. If you survived, you certainly deserve it.

Alex Wellerstein is an "historian of science who specializes in the history of nuclear weapons and nuclear secrecy," an associate professor at University of Maryland, and host of a nuclear secrecy blog that recently got a hold of some interesting documents.

Operation Teapot, as it was called, was in part a study about the effects of nuclear blasts on bottles and containers of beer and soda. The study concluded that though the fallout remained present on the exterior of the bottle in "small amounts," any liquid container that hadn't been structurally compromised (ie 'broken') was perfectly good for consumption.

The report concluded that, in the event of a blast, bottles can be relied upon, they were quote "well within the limits for emergency use." The reasoning for the tests was that all open source forms of drinking water would be contaminated.

So, even the non-alcoholic folks might have to step off the wagon—as if, in the event of nuclear war, people won't already be reaching for the bottle.